January 2013

NZPA has won another medal, this time with a Taste Cumbria Gold Award.

It was one of 40 Gold’s given to producers in Cumbria as part of the 2013 Cumbria Life Food & Drink Awards. Around 200 products, across 7 categories (meat, dairy, bread, desserts, condiments, beer & miscellaneous) were judged by a panel in November, with the ‘beer’ category taking 9 Gold awards.

NZPA was described by the judges as “a pale ale abundantly hopped with exotically fruity New Zealand hops”. This is the latest in a string of awards for NZPA, last year it won a Gold medal in the CAMRA Cumbrian Beer of the Year awards and previous to that a Bronze medal at the Brewers Society North region competition 2011. “We’re delighted that judges have recognised the quality of New Zealand’s hops and the skills of our brewing team” said New Zealander, Matt Clarke, Head Brewer.

We’re pleased to report a 17.5% increase in production in 2012, comprehensively bucking the economic trend.

Production rose to 5,250 barrels (190,000 gallons or 1.5 million pints). This level of growth was made possible by our second major investment in plant and equipment in our ten year life.

Managing Director Alex Brodie said: “It is tough in the beer market at present, with the economic squeeze, the government forcing the price up by beer duty increases, the large number of new breweries and the lack of finance, so we’ve done very well to increase our share. We are still a small brewery and the key for us now is not volume growth, but to solidify our niche position in the North West and concentrate on doing what we do better and better. "